Soldering cans



3 Sheets-Sheen 1.

(No Model.)

E.NORTON.

SOLDERING SANS.

Patented Mar.20, 1883.

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(No Model.) a Sheets-Sheet 2. E. NORTON.

sowmme CANS. No. 274,362. Patented Mar. 20,1883.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

E. NORTON.

SOLDERING CANS. No. 274,362. Patented Mar.20, 1883.

lids rwj'ai' N. versus mMmmrm WnhingtMJl Q UNITE STATES EDWIN NORTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

' SOLDERING CANS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 274,362, dated March 20, 1883.

Application filed October 28, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN NORTON, a citizen of the United States,.residing in Chicago, in. the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Soldering Cans, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in machines or apparatus for soldering cans, wherein the cans are rolled on a suitable track through a bath of molten solder, and more particularly to improvements upon the process and apparatus heretofore patented to me in Letters Patentof the United States No. 233,688, dated October 26, 1880.

My present invention consists in an apparatus having a track provided with an acid or flux bath and a bath of molten solder, and a chain or other suitable device for rolling the cans on said track through said baths. The cans are heated by rolling them with their ends against aheated plate on the track, and .the acid-bath is preferably heated also. The cans, as they pass through from the solder-bath, are delivered upon an endless belt, apron, or carrier upon their ends, so that the solder will remain evenly distributed around their joints at the ends; and the recently-soldered seam is subjected to a blast of cold air, so as to more quickly set the solder, as the cans pass along on the carrier. The cans are rolled over the heated plate and through the acid and solder baths by means of an endless chain mounted on adjustable pulleys. The pressure of the chain upon the cans is regulatedby a number of pivoted weights resting thereon, so as toinsure an even rolling of the cans through the solder-bath and prevent their slipping. I also provide a rail or guard above the cans for bolding them down and preventing therow of cans pressing against each other, causing some of them to rise or bulge up. This rail is secured to the brackets on which the adjustable pulleys are mounted, so that the rail may likewise be adjusted to cans of different diameters. The ends of the can are also held or guided against the plate by a guard or rail at their upper or outer end, which is also adjustably secured to the frame of the machine, so as to accommodate cans of different lengths. The acid bath is preferably located between the heating-plate and the solder-bath, so that the end of the can or the seam will be heated before rolling through the acid-bath. As the cans frequently roll through the machine in close juxtaposition, the friction of one can against another will tend to cause some of the cans to slip or slide through the bath, and thus solder only a portion of the seam, and to effectually prevent this, in addition to the pivoted weights with which I load the chain at points, I provide at each end of the solderbath a spring-tension pulley or tightener. The acid is supplied to the acid bath or receptacle as it is used from a reservoir above through a pipe provided with stop-cocks, and the acid bath or receptacle itself, through which the can rolls, is provided with an overflow, so that the acid is always maintained at the same height. From the overflow the acid drops into a tank below, and a pump is provided of suitable size for pumping the acid into the upper reservoir from time to time, so that the acid may be used over and over again.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which simi-- lar letters of reference indicate like parts, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved apparatus. Figs. 2, 3, and d are cross-sections on lines 2 2, 3 3, 4 4, respectively,-of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a plan view.

In the drawings, A represents the framework of the machine, which is all preferably made of iron.

B is an inclined angle plate, table, or trackfor the cans to roll upon, one on each side of the machine.

' C is the heating-plate, which is secured to or forms part of the angle-piece bot the inclined table I3, and against which the end of the can rests as it is rolled along, and is thereby heated.

D is the con veyer'chain for rolling the can through the machine on the table B. This chain is mounted upon and driven by pulleys E. The brackets E, upon which the pulleys are mounted, are adjustably secured to the frame of the machine, their heights being regu lated by the adjusting-screws e.

F is the upper tank or reservoir, from which the acid is supplied to the acid bath, receptacle, or depression f in the track or table I3,

'through a pipe, j", which is provided with a stop-cock, f by which the flow of acid may be regulated. The acid bath or receptacle f, through which the cans roll, is provided with an overflow-opening,f whereby the acid in the bath may be maintained at the height desired. The surplus acid falls through the overflow into a tank, F, below.

F is-a small pump for conveying the acid again into the upper reservoir, F, so that it may be used over again.

-13 is a heating-pipe, located beneath the acid-tank, whereby the acid is kept warm or hot, which very much facilitates the action of the acid upon the joint in preparing it for the solder. This heating pipe or device F may preferably be a gas-tube provided with anumber of suitable openings or jets for the gas.

G is the tank for holding the molten solder. The track or plate B, which forms the cover of this tank, is cut out at its lower edge, forming an opening or slot, g, through which the seam or corner of the can comes in contact withthe solder. The solderis heated and melted by gastubes g, provided with suitable perforations.

K is an adjustable guide or rail, located above the cans and preferably secured to the adjustable brackets E, upon which the pulleys E are mounted, so that the act of adj usting the height of the pulleys for cans of difl'erent diameters will at the same time adjust the guide K. This rail or guide serves to hold or press the cans into the solder-bath and to prevent the cans crowding together and some of them jumping or bulging upward. K is a similar adjustable guide or rail at the outer end of the cans, secured by means of slotted braces 70 and adj usting-screws It" to the inclined table or track B. This guide k, which is ad- -o justable to cans of different lengths, serves to keep the ends of the cans against the anglepiece b of the inclined plate or table B and inchain, will readily roll into the discharge opening or tube M, whereby the cans are turned upon end and delivered to the belt or carrier N. The construction of this tube N for turning the cans upon end and delivering them to a carrier is fully set forth in my Letters Patent No. 232,409, of September 21, 1880, and I do not, therefore, deem it necessary to here describe the same particularly. However, any other suitable device for turning or delivering the cans upon end to the belt or carrier may be used, provided it does not jar the can too much, so as to disturb or injure the seam before the solder becomes hard.

O is a cold-air pipe, located above or near the belt-carrier N and provided with suitable openings or jet-tubes, 0, whereby the cans, as they are carried along on the belt or carrier, are subjected to blasts or jets of cold air for the purpose of cooling the cans and setting the solder. Air is forced into the pipe by any suitable pump or apparatus.

P P are the pulleys for the belt or carrier T.

Q represents an inclined chute, by which the cans are delivered to the machine, and Q is the discharge-chute.

It R are weights pivoted to the adjustable rail or guide K, and resting upon the conveyerchain and located specially over the solderbath, so as to increase the friction or pressure of the chain upon the cans for the purpose of preventing the cans sliding if they become crowded as they roll along on the track B.

The heating-plateO is heated by jets of gas from the tube S. The gas-tubes S, g, and 13 may be one continuous tube extendingthrough the whole machine, and in practice I blow into the .gas tube or tubes a blast of air which mixes with the gas in burning. 'Other means besides gas may be used for heating the apparatus. The can, as it rolls into the machine, is first heated by contact with the heatingplate, and it next rolls through the acid-bath, and then directly through the solder-bath, and is next delivered onto the carrier in a vertical position, and cooled by blasts of air as it passes along'on the carrier. Both sides of the machine are alike, one side being used to solder one end of the can, and the other side the other end. The acid in the acid-bath being heated, it hasno tendency to cool the seam before reaching the solder-batn' The heating-plate may, however, be located between the acid and solder baths; but the means shown is the preferable method of practicing my invention.

The pulleys on which the cooling-belt N is carried areadjusted vertically in relation to delivering device M by means of the screws n, so that cans of different lengths may bear the same relation to the delivering device and the carrier.

The spring-tension pulleys L L are located directly over the incline or depression in the track B at each end of the solder-bath, so that the depression of the track at this place will not -cause the cans to leave the chain.

1. The soldering apparatusconsisting of a track having a heating plate or device, an acid bath or receptacle, and a solder bath or receptacle, in combination with a device for rolling the cans along said track, and a belt or carrier llO for supporting the cans in a vertical position and a solder-bath, with a device for rollin g the cans alou g said track, a cooling belt or carrier,

and a device for delivering the cans from said track to said belt or carrier in a vertical posi' tion, substantially as specified.

The combination of a track with a heating device, an acid bath or receptacle, a solder bath or receptacle, and a chain or device for rolling the cans along said track through said baths,substantially as specified.

4. The combination, with a track provided with a heating device, an acid-bath, and a solder-bath, of a chute for delivering the cans thereto, and a device for rolling the cans along said track, substantially as specified.

' 5. In a soldering-machine, the combination of the inclined track or table provided with acid and solder baths and heating-plate, with a chain, for rolling the cans, mounted upon adjustable pulleys, and adjustable rails or guides above and at the end of the cans, sub stantially as specified.

6. The combination of the inclined track and solder-bath with the endless-chain conveyer loaded with pivoted weights to prevent the cans sliding, substantially as specified.

7. The combination of the track with the solder-bath, conveyer-chain, upper guide or rail, weights pivoted thereto, and tension-pulleys, substantially as specified.

8. The combination of the track, solder-bath, conveyer-chain, and spring-tension pulleys located near each end of the solder-bath, substantially as specified.

9. The combination, with a track having an acid bath or receptacle provided with an overflow, of an upper and lower acid-tank, sub- 5 7 stantially as specified.

EDWIN NORTON.

Witnesses:

T. EVERETT BROWN, EDMUND ADCOGK. 

